Mayorkun’s mother, Toyin Adewale, reveals she almost dismissed Davido’s first message as a scam. Here’s the story behind one of Nigeria’s biggest music breakthroughs.
Sometimes the biggest break in a young artist’s life starts with the message nobody believes. That was the case for Mayorkun, whose mother, Toyin Adewale, recently revealed how the family reacted when Davido first reached out to her son.
At first, they thought the message looked too suspicious to be real. What seemed like a possible scam later turned into a career-changing opportunity that helped push Mayorkun into the spotlight.
Before Mayorkun became the Mayor of Lagos, he was simply Mayowa, a University of Lagos accounting graduate with a love for poetry and a talent he hadn’t fully unleashed yet. That all shifted when he posted a cover of Davido’s hit song The Money online.
The clip went viral. And somewhere across Lagos, Davido noticed.
“We Thought Someone Was Playing a Prank”
When the superstar’s message first landed in Mayorkun’s DMs, neither he nor his mother took it seriously. To them, it looked exactly like the kind of message Nigerians have learned to ignore, too good to be true, possibly a setup.
But then Davido called personally.
But then Davido called personally.
Toyin Adewale recalls being right there when the phone rang. Her son’s reaction said everything. He was so overwhelmed with excitement, she says, he could barely contain himself.
Gifts, a Recording Session, and a New Life
Davido told Mayorkun he loved the cover, asked for his measurements, and promised to connect when he got back to town. True to his word, he did. Mayorkun and his brother showed up and left with a box full of gifts and cash.
The very next day, they were back, and that visit produced Eleko, the song that formally introduced Mayorkun to Nigeria.
Soon after, the brothers moved into Davido’s place. A worried Toyin Adewale went to check on her son. What she found put her mind at ease. She described Davido as warm, grounded, and respectful, not at all what she had feared.
Mayorkun spent five years under Davido Music Worldwide, earning the Headies Next Rated award in 2018 and building a fanbase that stretched well beyond Nigeria. He left DMW in 2021, signed with Sony Music West Africa, and has continued to grow, releasing his third album, Still The Mayor, in 2025.
It’s a story that many Nigerian parents will relate to, the fear, the doubt, the slow decision to trust. And it’s a reminder that sometimes, the message that looks like a scam is actually the one that changes your child’s life forever. Would you have believed it?
